Near Zero Energy Residential Buildings:

Why and How

Brian Montayne, ESB Innovation

Paul Kenny, Tipperary Energy Agency

Engineers Ireland

1st December 2016

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Ireland’s Emissions – 2020 Targets

EU 20-20-20 Targets

20%

Energy from Renewables

40% Electricity | 12% Heat | 10% Transport

20% Reduction in Non-ETS Emissions

20%

Energy

savings

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Ireland’s National Policy Position – By 2050:

● An 80% Reduction in Energy Emissions

● Carbon neutrality in Agriculture and land use

Ireland’s Emissions - Plotting a Roadmap

12th December, 2015

10th and 16th December, 2015

● Commitment to well below 2⁰C (aim of 1.5⁰C)

● 5 year planning and review cycle

● Increased ambition every cycle from 2018

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Ireland’s Emissions - Energy System to 2050

6.7 Mt

Source: Climate Change Advisory Council,

based on EPA 2015

36 Mt

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Peat, 4%

Coal, 6%

Gas, 13%

Oil, 77%

Ireland’s Emissions – Sector Analysis

Electricity 19%

Other (ETS) 8%

Other (Non ETS) 6%

Agriculture 33%

Transport 19%

Heat 15%

ETS ( 27%; 16 Mt )

Non ETS ( 73%; 42 Mt )

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Heating & Cooling – EU Comparison

Final energy consumption for heating & cooling - 2012

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Residential Heating – Fuels

Oil Heating (40% GHG)

Gas Heating (31% GHG)

Solid Fuel Heating (25% GHG)

Source: CSO 2011 Census

(400k Off Gas Grid)

Elec. Storage Heating (4% GHG)

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Residential Energy Demand – Geographical Distribution

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0

Natural Gas Oil

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Residential Heating – Geographical Distribution

Gas Oil

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Residential Energy Performance

Thermal Demand & No. of Buildings

30

No. of buildings

25

20

15

10

5

0

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0 AB-Small AB-Medium AB-Large CD-Small CD-Medium CD-Large EFG-Small EFG-Medium EFG-Large

Very energy efficient – lower running costs

Not energy efficient – higher running costs

MWhr/Year

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Strategy Framework for Low Carbon Heating

New build

Existing buildings

off gas grid

Existing buildings

on or near gas grid

Efficiency

improvements in

existing buildings

Bio

me

tha

ne

to g

as

gri

d

Low carbon heat networks

Low carbon heat solutions

needed for on-gas

properties not on heat

networks

New build energy efficiency and low carbon heat

Heat Pumps with some Biomass

Source: UK Committee on Climate Change (2015) – Next Steps for UK Heat Policy

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Technologies: Heat Pumps

Heat pump (2050)

Heat pump (current)

Gas (current)

Oil (current)

0.2 tCO2 pa

2.1 tCO2 pa

3.7 tCO2 pa

4.7 tCO2 pa

Note: Large home, average thermal demand 14.5 kWh/annum

around 45% of housing stock

55%

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Decarbonisation of Heat - Challenges

Policy Signals

Costs

EU ETS

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SuperHomes Approach

(i.e. NZEB Retrofit)

Paul Kenny, B.E. C. Eng.

Chief Executive

Tipperary Energy Agency

An alternate approach to heating

without combustion.

Engineers Ireland 1/12/16

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2006 House of Tomorrow Shallow Retrofit 80 homes (F to D)

EU SERVE project 400 buildings E1 to B2 (HES Pilot)

2013-2015 ~1000 fuel poverty/ Shallow F to E

Super-Homes

D2 to A2/3 Deep Retrofit

TEA & Domestic Retrofit

“We’re frustrated with lack of depth and continued use of

fossil fuels. We need deeper, faster and renewable retrofit”

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

KW

h/m

2/Y

ear

Delivered Fuel Energy Vs DEAP [retrofitted houses]

Theoretical Monitored

Cold houses

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Domestic Retrofit

EU FP6 Concerto “Sustainable energy demonstration

project.

• Targeting 347 existing, 80 new homes in Tipperary, 20 business

• Concentrating on Retrofitting best value for money

• 45% Theoretical reduction in heating. 37% actual

• Technical & policy reports for government

• Socioeconomic research

• €4M EU grant

• €10M total Project

• 200 job years!

• 600 sensors monitoring

• Many lessons

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Domestic CO2 reduction options

• Passive House Retrofit

• At generational retrofit (30-50 years)

– when large works being

undertaken:

• External insulation to foundation, and through

soffit.

• Remove ceilings, membrane installation, and

replace floor.

• New windows & doors, airtight to fabric.

• Airtightness to 0.6-2 ACH;

• HRV, External airsource stoves, heatpumps

with underfloor heating.

• 80k+ additional cost Vs standard deep

renovation (re-wire/ plastering/ plumbing)

• BER of 40-60 kWh/M2/annum.

• €200-€400 to heat.

• 85%+ Reduction in Energy

• 1.8M houses @80k = 144Bn Euro.

Superhomes:

• At deep retrofit w/o long payback

fabric upgrades but higher

ongoing heat use using RES-E

(via grid)

• External insulation where required;

• Achieve moderate Air tightness.

• New front doors.

• New windows where required;

• Demand controlled extract ventilation.

• Heatpumps designed to COP 3

• 20-40k cost. (28k in 2015)

• BER of A3/B1 kWh/M2/annum. (67 in

2015)

• €400- €600 to heat Vs €1800

• 1.8M houses @28k = 50Bn Euro.

• €2Bn/ Annum Vs <€200M today

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“I don’t know what to do, How do I know what is value for money? What

product is good, and what is not?”

“Who will do the work, and how can I trust them?”

“I can’t afford the capital cost, but I have high bills!”

“I want cheap finance, but am reluctant to re-mortgage”

“It’s too much hassle, if only someone would just do it for me!”

“Who will make sure it is done correctly”

“if I sell the house, all the money will be wasted”

“How can we expect home owners to design and implement a retrofit of this

quality – we need to have an offering, like this” - DCENR

Barriers to Deep Retrofit

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• Superhomes Designed to bring

SERVE experience to NZEB

• Expert guided deep retrofit.

• Panel of contractors compete for

work

• Negotiation on final measures with

advice.

• Arranged Grants

• Arranged Finance

• Certification of works

• Research

• Policy input

What Is Superhomes?

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Superhomes 2015

Technical Challenge: Retrofit heat-pumps: “it can’t be done”

• Heat pumps won’t work because of high temp radiators and poor airtightness; air-tight houses

need ventilation

• Solution: Design radiators to 45°C @-3°C; 35°C average

• Retrofit airtightness & forced ventilation

• Deal with open flues.

• Including sensible standard retrofit measures

Implementation:

• Trusted advisor (sell, survey & educate).

• Procure and manage contractor & ensure

delivery & value.

• Manage grants / payments / contracts/

monitoring.

• Electric Ireland: Energy credits & smart

energy control trial

0255075

100125150175200225250275300325

Change in BER level

Pre-BER

Post BER

E2

D2

D1

C3

C2

C1

B3

B2

B1

A3

A2

A1

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Homeowner Testimonials

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“Indoor” Air Quality Impacts

Improvement in Air tightness

• Ave 9.5 to Ave 4.2 (target was 5)

• Elimination of draughts/ air movement.

• Most front doors replaced .

Constant temperature heating.

• Low temp, low level.

• Equalisation of temperature of air, walls, thermal bridges.

• Higher internal temperatures.

Demand control ventilation installed.

• Little and often ventilation

• Ramp up with high humidity plus presence in bathrooms

• Average electricity use about 26W/ dwelling (€30/ 225kWh/ yr).

• Significant customer satisfaction.

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• Net heat loads (inc. HW) of all 2040 rural dwellings.

• New NZEB: 4,000-10,000 kWh/ yr

• Existing buildings to NZEB: 6,000-15,000 kWh/ yr

• Residual heat supply choices:

Residual Heat

457

176

143

292

232

260

300

115 94

20

150

58 47

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Kerosene Gas LPG Direct Elect Heat pump @2.6 Heat pump @3.2 "Local" Biomass

g C

O2

/ k

Wh

CO2 Emissions for Net Heat (2016-2040)*

2016

2026

2040

* 88% seasonal efficiency boilers for fossil fuels, 75% biomass (mix stoves/ pellets). 2026 – No Coal or Peat

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Engineering Heat

• Low Carbon Heat a reality in Scandinavia, Asia,

Australia

• Fossil fuels are easier and standard in UK/

Ireland.

• Engineers need to lead change, upskill where

required.

• Fossil fuels should be in a museum